Clearer for drawing rolls



Nov. 22, 1955 Filed Aug. 18, 1952 J. NOGUERA CLEARER FOR DRAWING ROLLS 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Nov. 22, 1955 J. NOGUERA 2,724,149

CLEARER FOR DRAWING ROLLS Filed Aug. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 laymwwzm United States Patent Q CLEARER FOR DRAWING RoLLs Joseph Noguera, Salford, Manchester, England, assignor to Casablancas High Draft Company Limited, Salford, Manchester, England, a British company Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 304,938

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 26, 1951 11 Claims. (Cl. 19-139) This invention relates to spinning and preparatory machines of the kind in which the top drafting rollers in the drafting arrangement are carried by a series of pivoted support arms incorporating springs or other roller weighting means.

.It is the usual practice to employ clearers for the top rollers of spinning and preparatory machines and, until recently, such clearers have generally been either of boxlength, in which case each clearer extends along corresponding top rollers serving six or eight adjacent spindles, or have been at least of half-box length. With spinning and preparatory machines of the kind specified, however, each support arm is normally arranged to carry consecutive top roller bosses for two adjacent drafting units positioned one on each side of the arm, and it is then necessary, or more convenient, to have shorter clearers which fit between adjacent support arms and co-operate only with corresponding top roller bosses of the two drafting units located between such arms. In some cases, also, such as at the end of the machine, it is necessary to have even shorter clearers designed to co-operate with top rollers of a single drafting unit. The reason why longer clearers cannot conveniently be employed is that the size of the support arms makes it very diflicult to construct efficient clearers with neck portions capable of bridging the arms.

By the use of short clearers as described, there is introduced a multiplicity of separate parts which have to be lifted individually before a support arm can be raised to lift the top roller bosses of the drafting unit on each side thereof, and this is a serious disadvantage which materially detracts from the benefit which could be derived from the use of pivoted support arms.

A main object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned disadvantage.

According to the present invention, there is provided, for use in a spinning or preparatory machine of the kind specified, a frame which can be pivoted at its rear end on a fixed axis behind the drafting arrangement and is adapted for association with one or a set of several consecutive top roller clearers and with each support arm carrying the top roller bosses with which said clearer or clearers co-operate, the arrangement being such that each clearer can be lifted off the machine individually or the clearer or clearers can be raised and lowered by pivoting the said frame either alone or in conjunction with a support arm.

1 In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect two embodiments thereof will now be described in detail with reference to the ac companying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a clearer frame according to the invention in its operative position on a drafting apparatus with the weighting arm in the foreground omitted for purposes of clarity, the clearer frame and the weighting arm in the background being shown also in their raised or inoperative positions in chaindotted lines,

Figure 2 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the clearer frame shown in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a side elevational view showing a modified form of clearer frame in position on a drafting apparatus, the weighting arm in the foreground again being omitted.

Referring now to the drawings, a support arm 1, the design of which forms no part of the present invention, is mounted, at the rear end, on a pivot 2v which is in turn secured between bracket plates 3. These plates 3 are clamped on a fixed rod 4 at the rear of the machine by means of bolts 5 having co-operating nuts 5a. The arm 1 is arranged in known manner to carry and weight the top rollers 6, 7 and 8, of adjacent drafting units positioned one on each side of the arm. For this pur pose, the rollers 6, 7 and 8 are each constituted by one boss of a pair of bosses which are spaced apart in known manner on a common axis to provide a relatively rotatable neck portion therebetween which is gripped by the arm 1. Cooperating with the top rollers 6, 7 and 8 are bottom rollers 6a, 7a and 8a, these bottom rollers being supported in a conventional manner on roller stands not shown. The roller pair 7, 711 may carry top and bottom endless bands 9, 9a in accordance with the well known Casablancas drafting system, these bands forming no part of the present invention and being partially broken away in the drawings.

It will be appreciated that a series of arms 1 will be arranged at intervals along the rod 4 of a machine, each arm carrying the top rollers of adjacent units on each side of the arm so that there will be two drafting units between each said arm.

A generally rectangular frame 10 is arranged to pivot, at its rear end, on main pivot pegs 11 which project towards each other in axial alignment from the facing surfaces of bracket plates 3 carrying adjoining support arms. Further corresponding frames 10 will normally be similarly positioned between adjoining support arms along the length of the machine. To engage the pegs 11, the rear end of each side member of the frame 10 is provided with a hook portion 10a which forms an upwardly directed open slot 12 in the upper edge of the member. These slots 12 fit over the respective pegs 11 and permit the frame side members to pivot in planes substantially parallel to the side faces of the support arms. The edges of the side members of the frame 10 beneath the hook portions 10a are each cut away to provide a recess 13 having a curved base with a shoulder 13a at one end and a notch 13b at the opposite end. Below the aforesaid pegs 11 the facing surfaces of the bracket plates ofadioining support arms are also provided each with a further short subsidiary peg 14-, these pegs 14 being positioned so as to ride in the recesses 13 of the respective frame side members. In the lowered or operative position of the frame as shown in full lines in Figure 1 of the drawings, the pegs 14 each lie against the shoulder 13a of the corresponding side member.

The side members of the frame it) are coupled to ether by transverse bars 15, 16 and are provided with slots 17 and 18 opening through their upper edges. The slots 17 on the two frame side members are in register and serve as guides for the end pivots 19 of a roller clearer 20 of cylindrical form. The length or depth of the slots 1'7 is such that the clearer 20 is free to rest on the appropriate roller bosses and is frictionally driven thereby when the machine is set in operation. As shown, the slots 17 are set at an inclination with respect to the longitudinal axes of' the side members so that themouths of the slots are off-set towards the forward or leading end of the frame It); The purpose of this is to prevent the clearer end pivots 19 becoming inadvertently disengaged from the slots 17 when the frame 10 is in or beyond the raised position shown in dotted lines in Figure l. i

The slots 18 positioned intermediate the length of the frame side members are again in register. These slots 18 are, however, of generally rectangular form and are designed to receive rectangular end supports 21 of a generally triangular section intermediate clearer 22. The support arms on each side of the frame are each provided with a projection 22a these projections being arranged to extend each under the adjacent side member of the frame.

The frame 10 as described together with the supported clearers and 22 can readily be lifted away from the drafting rollers by slight upward pressure on the forward or leading end of the frame which causes the rear end of the latter to pivot about the pegs 11. During this lifting movement, the slots 12 in the frame side members will be prevented from disengaging the pegs if by the presence of the pegs 14 which will ride around in the respective recesses 13 until the frame reaches a predetermined raised position as shown in dotted lines in Figurel and determined by the notches 13b. When the frame reaches this raised position, the notches 13b settle onto the respective pegs 14 allowing the whole frame to drop slightly in relation to the pegs 11 and, at the same time, retaining the frame in this raised position. Once the pegs 14 have engaged in the notches 1312 the frame cannot be pivoted any further towards the rear of the machine since it will be brought to a positive stop in the raised position by the engagement of the pegs 14 as aforesaid. Thus, even if the frame is manually pivoted in a quick and careless manner it will still ultimately be positively located in the correct raised position.

To return the frame 10 to its operative position, it is merely necessary to lift it slightly so as to disengage the notches 13!; from the pegs 14 whereupon the frame can readily be pivoted down about the pegs 11. If it is desired to remove the frame 11 from the machine altogether, the frame is first pivoted rearwardly into the raised position and is then lifted until the pegs 11 lie again in the bottom of the slots 12. In this position the pegs 14 will be clear of the notches 1312 so that further rearward pivoting of the frame permits the slots 12 to drop away from the pegs 11 and the frame to be withdrawn.

The weighting arms 1 are provided with separate arrangements whereby these arms are supported in the raised position but, since such arrangements form no part of the present invention, they are not described herein. It will, however, be observed from Figure 1 that the normal raised position of the frame 10 is slightly higher than the normal raised position of the support arms, the purpose of this being to make the parts readily accessible.

As previously explained, clearer frames similar to the frame 10 will normally be positioned between adjoining support arms along the length of the machine so that there will be a frame on each side of each arm. A projection 22a will thus normally extend from each side of an arm to co-operate with the clearer frame on either side of the arm.

With the construction according to the invention it is possible to unweight and lift a support arm with the adjacent clearer frames on each side thereof in the working position without the necessity for independent manual displacement of these frames. This is achieved by means of the projections 22a on each support arm which serve to carry the adjacent frames with the arm into the raised position. If the arm is raised or swung upwardly to a point where the notches 1312 on the clearer frames engage the pegs 14, the frames will then be held in the raised position. The arm can then be lowered until it finds its own means of support which is in a lower position in relation to the frames as aforesaid.

It is to be noted that the pivot 2 of each support arm is enclosed between a pair of adjacent bracket plates 3 and does not project into the zone of movement of the clearer frame on either side of the arm. Consequently the pivots 2 do not interfere with the movement of the frames in any Way.

The clearer frame 23 which is shown in Figure 3 of the drawings serves exactly the same purpose as the frame 10 of Figure l but is of slightly modified construction. The frame 23 is provided with elongated side members which are coupled, intermediate their length, by a transverse plate 24 and are provided with slots 25, 26 opening through the upper edges for the reception respectively of the front and intermediate clearers 20 and 22. The slots 25 and 26 in this second embodiment are of a slightly modified shape as shown.

At the rear ends, the frame side members each have an aperture 27 therethrough, these apertures being arranged to engage respectively over co-axial inwardly extending pegs 28 on the facing surfaces of the bracket plates 3 of adjoining support arms. The under edge of each side member of the frame 23 is cut away as shown, to provide a hook-like spring arm 29 having an outwardly extending projection 30 near the outer end. The projections 30 may be in the form of small button-head rivets or in any other suitable form. The aforesaid facing surfaces on the bracket plates 3 between which the frame is pivoted, are each provided with an indentation 31 in which the respective projections 30 can engage for the purpose of locating the frame 23 in the raised position. The side members of the frame 23 in this embodiment act as a spring and serve to hold the projections 30 in the respective indentations 31, whilst allowing these projections to move out of the indentations when the frame is pulled downwardly, into the working position. In order to remove the frame 23 from the machine or to position the frame thereon, it is possible to squeeze together the side members at the rear end of the frame until the pivot pegs 28 are clear of the holes 27 whereupon the frame can readily be lifted clear or positioned as required. 1

If it is desired to pivot the clearer frame to such a extent that the open clearer guide slot ends will be lower than the closed ends, it will normally be, desirable to provide some means to prevent the clearer pivots falling out of their guides under gravity. This may be achieved in several alternative ways, two examples of which are illustrated by the shaping of the guides 17 and 25 in Figures 1 and 3.

It will, of course, be appreciated that it is desirable always to provide guides with open upper ends when in the working position so that the clearers can readily be lifted individually from the machine or placed in position thereon without the necessity of releasing catches or moving the frame in any way.

The invention has been described as applied to roller clearers extending over the top rollers of two adjacent drafting units but it could equally well be applied to consecutive clearers co-operating with a single drafting unit only. This is particularly necessary at the end of a roller line where only one drafting unit will project beyond the last support arm. These can, however, equally well be applied between support arms utilizing two frames side by side, each co-operating with one said arm instead of a single frame associated with either or both arms as aforesaid.

I claim:

1. In a drafting apparatus, the combination of consecutive pairs of superposed drafting rollers, a pivotally mounted top roller weighting and support arm, a clearer frame adapted to pivot on a fixed axis at the rear of said apparatus between a lowered operative position above said top rollers and a raised inoperative position, said frame having side members formed with corresponding slots opening through the upper edges thereof for removably receiving the end supports of at least one top roller clearer, means for positively locating said frame respectively in the operative and inoperative positions, and lateral projection means on said arm for engaging a frame side member, the arrangement permitting alternatively independent removal of said clearer from the apparatus, manual pivoting of said frame from the operative to the inoperative position to lift said clearer away from the top rollers and automatic pivoting of said frame, to lift the clearer with said arm, by raising said arm about its pivot.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the side members of said frame pivot in planes substantially parallel to the plane of pivotal movement of the said arm and in which said projection means is in the form of a laterally extending member which engages beneath the lower edge of an adjoining frame side member.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the said slots in the side members are of sufficient depth to enable said clearer to rest on at least one top drafting roller and in which the mouths of said slots are off-set from the bases thereof to retain said clearer end supports in their slots when said frame is raised, while at the same time permitting ready removal of said supports from the slots by hand.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which each said frame side member is formed with an upwardly directed hook part at the rear end providing an open slot and in which axially aligned pivot pegs are secured at the rear of the apparatus for pivotal engagement in the respective slots, said hooked side members being readily withdrawable from the pivot pegs to permit bodily removal of the frame from the apparatus.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the rear ends of said frame side members are formed with upwardly directed hook-like portions providing slots for removable engagement with aligned pivot pegs at the rear of said apparatus and in which said hooked shaped ends of said frame side members are each formed with a curved recess around the edge opposite the hook slot, each said recess being arranged to rest on and ride over a fixed subsidiary peg on the apparatus during pivoting of the frame whereby said hook slots are prevented from disengaging said pivot pegs during the pivoting movement, there being a shoulder at one end of each said recess which bears against the associated subsidiary peg to locate the frame in said operative position and a notch at the opposite recess end which receives said subsidiary peg and locates said frame in the inoperative position.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said frame side members are each provided at their rear end with a spring action and are each apertured removably to engage over short fixed pivot pegs at the rear of the apparatus and in which a stud or projection on at least one said frame side member is arranged, by cooperation with a recessed part of the apparatus, to locate said frame at least in the raised inoperative position.

7. In a drafting apparatus the combination of a plurality of adjoining drafting units, each composed of consecutive pairs of superposed drafting rollers, top roller weighting and carrying arms pivoted at the rear of the apparatus and each engaging consecutive roller necks between the top rollers of two adjoining units, a clearer frame mounted to pivot on a fixed axis to the rear of said apparatus between a lowered operative position overlying the top rollers of at least one said unit and a raised inoperative position, said frame having parallel side members at least one of which lies alongside an arm in the operative position of the apparatus and both of which have slots opening through the upper edges for the re movable reception of end supports of a number of roller clearers, means for positively locating said frame respectively in the said operative and inoperative positions and a lateral projection engaging under the said frame side member which lies alongside an arm, the projection being secured on said latter arm, whereby the frame, together with the clearers thereon, can be pivoted automatically away from the drafting field merely by raising said arm having the lateral projection about its pivot.

8. A combination as claimed in claim 7 in which said frame is dimensioned to extend over the top rollers of two adjoining drafting units located between adjacent arms whereby each frame side member lies alongside one of said adjacent arms, there being a lateral projection on each said arm engaging beneath the adjacent frame side member whereby said frame can be turned about its rear pivot into the raised inoperative position by upwardly pivoting either of said adjacent arms.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 8 in which a clearer frame is located on each side of an arm, the side members of said clearer frames located adjacent the arm each being engaged by lateral projections on said arm whereby both said frames can be pivoted upwardly by turning said arm into a raised position about its pivot.

10. In a drafting apparatus having at least one pair of superposed drafting rollers and at least one top roller clearer, a pivotally mounted top roller weighting and support arm adapted to support the top roller of said pair of rollers, a pivotally mounted clearer frame adapted to be moved between a lowered operative position above said top roller and a raised inoperative position, and having side members formed with corresponding slots opening through the upper edges thereof adapted to removably receive the end supports of said top roller clearer, means for positively locating said frame respectively in its operative and inoperative positions, and lateral projection means on said arm engaging a frame side member so that when said arm is swung upwardly about its pivot said frame will be automatically swung upwardly about its pivot to move said clearer away from the drafting field, said lateral projection means permitting independent upward swinging of said frame about its pivot to move said clearer away from the top roller.

11. For use with a drafting apparatus having a plurality of drafting units arranged in side by side relation and each comprising consecutive pairs of superposed drafting rollers and roller clearers for the top rollers, top roller weighting and carrying arms adapted to be pivoted on the apparatus and each adapted to engage consecutive top rollers of two adjoining units, clearer frames each adapted to be pivoted on said apparatus between the arms of an adjoining pair of arms for movement between a lowered operative position overlying the top rollers of two adjoining units and a raised inoperative position, and having means adapted to retain roller clearers, and cooperating means on said arms and frames permitting each of said frames to be raised independently to its inoperative position and coupling each arm to an adjoining pair of frames when the arm is raised so that said adjoining pair of frames and the roller clearers thereon will be raised automatically with said arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 762,163 Gordon June 7, 1904 825,584 Chandler July 10, 1906 903,885 Reed Nov. 17, 1908 1,149,209 Nelson Aug. 10, 1915 1,246,535 Brierclifle et al. Nov. 13, 1917 2,513,872 Hord et al. July 4, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 120,692 Austria Ian. 10, 1931 287,993 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1928 

